Planting Churches Everywhere: The Apostolic Mandate of Dag Heward-Mills
When God calls a man to ministry, He doesn’t always give him the full picture immediately. But over time, the assignment becomes clearer. For Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, what began as obedience to preach the Gospel quickly grew into something far larger—a call to plant churches everywhere. Not in a few cities. Not in one nation. But everywhere the Lord would send him.
It’s an apostolic mandate. One that carries the burden of building, establishing, and multiplying the presence of God through local churches. And Bishop Dag has taken that call seriously. Church planting is not just a department in his ministry—it’s the heartbeat. It’s the method he has embraced to fulfill the Great Commission.
While others may focus on events or moments, he focuses on structures that last. And at the center of this structure is the local church.
The Church as God’s Strategy
Everywhere Jesus went, He taught, healed, and then gathered people. He established community. He laid foundations. The early apostles did the same. They didn’t just make converts—they planted churches. Because the Church is not man’s idea—it is God’s strategy.
Bishop Dag understands that the Gospel must not only be preached but preserved. And the way to preserve it is through churches. Places where people can grow, be discipled, serve, and be trained for ministry. He plants churches not for numbers, but for souls. For continuity. For legacy.
This apostolic vision is what has fueled the planting of thousands of churches under the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches. From cities to remote villages, the mission has remained the same: plant a church, raise a pastor, win the lost.
A Vision Fueled by Obedience
The scale of the work can be overwhelming to consider. How do you plant churches everywhere? How do you raise leaders, find venues, gather people, and sustain the work? Bishop Dag’s answer is simple: obedience. One step at a time. One soul at a time. One church at a time.
He has taught his leaders that obedience is more powerful than ambition. That if God sends you to a town, no matter how small, you go. And if God leads you to a nation, no matter how distant, you go.
That spirit of obedience is what has released favor. Doors have opened. Lands have been given. Leaders have been raised. And the Gospel has been planted in places where it had never been heard before.
Reaching the World Through Local Churches
The beautiful thing about church planting is that it makes the Gospel accessible. People don’t have to wait for a crusade. They can walk down the road to their church and hear the Word every week. They can be baptized, discipled, and empowered to reach others.
Bishop Dag’s strategy is simple but powerful: plant a church and let that church reproduce. Each church becomes a base. Each base becomes a sending center. And before long, one church turns into ten. Ten turns into a hundred. And a hundred into thousands.
This is the apostolic mandate in motion. Not glamorous, but fruitful. Not fast, but lasting. Not limited to one man, but shared through many.
Church planting is not just a strategy—it’s a calling. And Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is walking in it faithfully.